"Here I am, a white Anglo Saxon 58-year-old male, who has never been discriminated against in his life. On any matter. It's a man's world...and it shouldn't work that way": Army chief Lieutenant General David Morrison. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

In comments in Adelaide on Tuesday to coincide with White Ribbon Day, Lieutenant General Morrison condemned domestic violence levels, saying Australia has been too slow to address what is an "existential issue".

Every week, a women dies in Australia due to domestic violence, while one in three will experience violence at some stage in her life and one in five will experience sexual violence.

"Look, here I am, a white Anglo Saxon 58-year-old male, who has never been discriminated against in his life. On any matter. It's a man's world. And it doesn't work. And it shouldn't work that way," he said.

General Morrison said that people needed to stop asking why women in domestic violence situations do not simply leave their partners.

"It just isn't that easy. Women are our primary carers of our children. Women have less economic support than men," he said.

"Society needs to ask itself 'why doesn't he stop?' Rather than 'why is she staying?'"

At a White Ribbon breakfast on Tuesday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that "domestic violence has no friends anywhere".

"It's just wrong, it's never justified, it's never excused."

Labor leader Bill Shorten said that every Australian man had to become an advocate against domestic violence.

"It's time for every Australian man to face up to our responsibilities – in our Parliament, in our homes, in our communities, in our nation."